Night Under the Stars
by Yukaido
Summary: It's been fifteen years since the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konohagakure. And Naruto has to live with the constant burden of the fox spirit inside him. How can he live with the guilt? My first NaruXHina fanfic and first completed fanfiction, please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Well, I finally did it, I completed a fanfiction! (Mr. Six's music plays in background and I do my victory dance) This is my first ever Naruto fanfiction, so please be nice!**** I tried my hardest to get the lines to sound like something the actual characters ****would say, which is probably why it took like a year to write..._anyways_, hope I did a good job and I really hope you guys like it! **

**Warning of spoilers, that is, if the rumors I've heard are true. I haven't watched the show on TV in ages because all they are playing are fillers...which I find to be quite stupid in themselves. And of course, none of the characters or the show belong to me, they belong to the amazing Kishimoto! Though it'd be fantastic if he gave rights to the storyline to me...yah right. Well enough talk, on with the reading!! :)**

**--**

A spiky haired blonde boy slowly sat up in his bed and yawned widely. Getting up and stretching, he walked over to his window and opened it, letting the morning breeze blow through his unkempt hair. He took in a deep breath and grinned.

"Yes! My birthday's finally here!!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. Today Naruto Uzumaki turned fifteen years old.

But Naruto's grin soon turned into a half-hearted smile.

"Today's my birthday. I should be happy. So why am I not?" Naruto thought.

Sadness wasn't a feeling he had experienced in a long time. Well, not since he had found people that accepted him for who he was.

"I mean, what is there to be sad about?"

He had just recently been made a Chunin rank ninja, taking him even closer to his dream of becoming the Hokage of his village. His best friend, Sasuke, had returned to Konohagakure Village after killing his brother Itachi and avenging his clan. Sasuke was officially the last surviving member of the Uchihas. Orochimaru and Kabuto's imposter had been defeated. The Akatsuki had even stopped hunting him down for the fox demon's spirit that lay dormant inside him. Well, at least for the time being.

He had mastered a technique passed down by the Fourth Hokage himself, the Rasengan, after training with Jiraiya for two and a half years. And lastly, he had discovered the only child of the great hero of the village, the one who had sealed the Fox spirit inside his body when he was a newborn child...was himself. Naruto was the sole son of the brave Fourth Hokage.

Suddenly, images of the terrible nightmare that had woken Naruto in the middle of the night flashed through his mind. He saw a horrifying beast with orange tails terrorizing a village. He saw people fleeing and heard the screams of those who tried to fight back. He saw bodies littering the ground, all motionless and silent. A huge flash of red light ended the vision, leaving Naruto with only the wail of a baby ringing in his ears.

"Was that...?" Naruto began to ask, but he shook his head in defiance. "It must have been something I ate last night."

**--**

**Okay, kinda short introduction, but it picks up really fast, so don't worry! There is plenty of drama and angst to come! And don't forget to review! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Now it's time for the angst to start surfacing!! And of course, what is a Naruto fanfiction without poking some fun at the characters?**

**--**

After his usual routine of eating breakfast with expired milk and putting on his new headband, Naruto headed out of his apartment to meet the rest of his Shinobi team. Just as Naruto took a step out of the door, his neighbor rushed by carrying a box of decorations. Just as this man passed, another man ran in the opposite direction carrying some banner lights.

"Hey! What's going on?" Naruto asked the man, but he was in such a rush, he didn't hear him.

"Why is everyone in such a hurry this morning?" Naruto wondered aloud. He walked over to the edge of the balcony platform he stood on and looked out across Konoha village. What he saw made him gasp in surprise.

The whole village was bustling with activity, whether it be people setting up lanterns or excited children running through the streets to meet up with friends.

"Woooh! Is this some kind of festival or something?" Naruto cried in amazement.

Minutes later, in front of the mountainside carvings of the previous Hokages, Naruto met up with his Jonin sensei, Kakashi, and his two teammates, Sasuke and Sakura.

"Kakashi sensei! Sakura! Sasuke! Do you guys know what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, Naruto. You're here," Kakashi acknowledged him, "Today's the festival, so we don't have any new missions to complete."

"Hm? What festival?" said Naruto, just as confused as he was when he asked the original question.

"Naruto, do you always have to be this clueless?!" Sakura exclaimed in exasperation. Naruto laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with one hand. Sakura sighed.

"It's been exactly fifteen years since the Fourth Hokage saved the village from the Nine Tailed Fox," she explained, "This festival is to celebrate the sealing of the Fox spirit and to honor the lives of those who perished to protect our village." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, then he looked down at his feet.

"That's right," Naruto thought, "This is the day the Fourth Hokage gave his life to save the village. And it's the day Iruka sensei's parents were killed by this...this_ thing_." He grabbed his stomach, hands shaking. "This thing inside me."

"What's eating him all of a sudden?" Sakura wondered.

"Naruto's never been shocked into silence from something as trivial as a festival." Sasuke thought, watching his distraught friend, "Something's up."

"Can nobody put two and two together?" Kakashi asked himself, "Whiskers, he has _whiskers_." Finally, Sakura couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Happy birthday Naruto kun!" she said, pulling a present wrapped in pink wrapping paper from behind her back. Naruto's face brightened up instantly.

"Thanks Sakura chan!" Naruto said, taking the present from her. Without looking him in the eyes, Sasuke handed Naruto his gift.

"You guys are the best!!" Naruto exclaimed, ripping open the packages in glee. He got a ramen bowl from Sakura and a new pair of shuriken from Sasuke.

"Wow, these are awesome!!"

"Naruto may be distracted for now thanks to those two, but there's definitely something bugging him," Kakashi thought, remembering the look of distress in Naruto's eyes, "I'll bet it has to do with the Nine Tailed Fox."

"Well, if we aren't doing anything today, I think I'll go check out the festival so far," Naruto said, turning to leave, "You know, see the sights and all." He started to walk away, when Kakashi stopped him.

"Wait, Naruto," Kakashi said, "You didn't think you were going to leave without me giving you my present, were you?" He handed Naruto two coupons to the Ichiraku Ramen shop, the Chunin's favorite restaurant in all of Konoha.

"Awesome! Now I can get even more ramen!" Naruto exclaimed.

"There's one for you..." explained Kakashi, "...and one for a certain special someone at the festival tonight."

"Special someone?" Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura asked in unison.

"Hm? Didn't I tell you?" Kakashi inquired, "The festival is semi-formal, so you're all encouraged to bring a date." Naruto gulped.

"A date?"

"Yes! This is my chance to get Sasuke to fall for me!!" thought Sakura, her eyes glinting.

"This is such a pain." Sasuke mused to himself.

"Hey, Sakura! Do you think, well, you and I could..." Naruto started to say, but he was almost immediately cut off.

"Don't even ask Naruto, I already know what you're going to say," Sakura interrupted, "The answer's no. There's only one person I'll go with." Naruto hung his head in defeat.

"Four years, and she _still_ won't even consider going on a date with me." Naruto thought with a small smile.

"Oh, Saassuke!" Sakura coed, drifting over to him. Sasuke automatically turned away.

"Not interested." he said, waving her off. It was Sakura's turn to hang her head.

"Well, see you guys later!" Naruto said, walking away with his hand over his head.

"Hey, Kakashi sensei, do you know why Naruto was acting so..." Sasuke and Sakura both began to ask.

"Oh, I just remembered, I have somewhere I need to be. Bye!" Kakashi quickly avoided the question, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Both of his pupils growled in annoyance.

**--**

**Well, I couldn't just let Naruto get picked on. I had to make fun of Sakura's obsession a little too...(innocent angel eyes) Okay, now all that's left for you readers to do...is click the button!! **


	3. Chapter 3

**So wait a minute, let me get this straight. (holding a narrator's script) I cue saying, "Enter Hinata!!" and then I cue in...popsicles??**

**--**

"They're definitely not sparing any expense on this festival thing." Naruto thought aloud as he took in his surroundings. Konoha had been completely transformed. Decorative banners hung from every building, lanterns in every color imaginable hung over the pathways, and already stands were being set up along the sides of the streets. Too preoccupied with the activity around him, Naruto didn't notice a blue haired girl peering out from behind a corner at him, her face pink.

"Naruto kun." thought Hinata as she watched her crush wander around aimlessly. Her thoughts drifted back to when her and her teammates had learned about the festival.

_"Festival?" all the members of cell 8 asked simultaneously._

_"Yes. It is to honor the Fourth Hokage and the countless others who gave their lives to keep our village safe." said Kurenai sensei._

_"From the Nine Tailed Fox." Shino stated._

_"Woohoo! That means half eaten corndogs and melted Popsicle sticks! Right, Akamaru?" Kiba shouted in excitement._

_"Arf!" Akamaru barked happily. Hinata glanced at her teammate in embarrassment._

_"Before you get too hyped up Kiba, I have a few more announcements to make." Kurenai smiled at his antics._

_"Aw." Kiba grumbled his annoyance, crossing his arms and sitting back down. Kurenai continued._

_"The Fifth Hokage has requested that everyone attending the festival bring a date."_

_"Whhhhhaaaatttt?!"_

_"A date?! Why?!" Kiba practically screamed._

_"Well, this is a very important day in Konoha's history. So it's only natural that the celebration would be formal." Kurenai replied. Kiba and Shino slowly slinked over to where Hinata stood, a mischievous grin planted on Kiba's face._

_"Oh, Hinata!" he said deviously._

_"This could be your chance to..." Shino began to say._

_"...get Naruto to fall for you." teased Kiba. Hinata's face immediately turned as red as a tomato._

_"Kiba kun!"_

_"C'mon, you know you want to! Whadda ya say?"_

_"He's right you know."_

_"Shino kun!!"_

_"A date? Why'd it have to be a date?" Hinata thought miserably._

_"And..." _

_"There's more?!" asked Hinata, her eyes already spinning from all of the excitement._

_"Our Hinata has been chosen to be one of the dancers in the sacred Lotus Kyomai that is to be performed tonight at the opening ceremony of the festival." declared Kurenai proudly. Hinata passed out on the spot. _

_"Great job Hina- Hinata?!" Kiba yelped, "Not again!"_

Hinata returned to the present state to see a man struggling to hold a lantern in place with one hand, while reaching down with the other to grab the next lantern on the line. Just when it seemed the man would topple over, another person grabbed the lantern and handed it to him.

"Wooh, let me help you with that!" said Naruto.

"Phew. Thanks Naruto." the man said appreciatively.

"Naruto kun..." Hinata blushed even harder as she watched Naruto hold the line of lanterns up as the man nailed them in one at a time, "You're even a nice guy on top of all that hard work and dedication." She clasped her hands together as they began to tremble. "You're so strong and determined...t-that's why I like you so much..."

"How am I supposed to find the courage to ask you on a date?!"

"There. Done," said the man, "Thanks so much for the help Naruto."

"Aw, it was nothing." Naruto said modestly, scratching the back of his head. The man smiled.

"You fool, get away from him!"

Naruto whirled around to see a group of elderly citizens standing outside the doors of a nearby shop. "What do you mean, there's nothing wrong with Naruto-" the younger man began to say, but he was interrupted.

"He's an abomination!"

"That _monster_ will kill us all!"

Naruto turned his back on the cruel insults, his face devoid of expression.

"You're wrong!" the man protested, "Naruto is a good person. He would never do such a thing, even if he-"

"Don't you know what he is?!" At this, Naruto could take it no longer.

"Hey, you know what-" Naruto started to yell, spinning around angrily. He immediately froze upon seeing the look of absolute terror on their faces. He looked down at his feet, gritting his teeth in frustration, then tore off in the opposite direction, away from the criticism, the fear, the hate he had always known as a child. It was all too familiar, and it was all rushing back, like a nightmare that just never seemed to end. Hinata watched in shock as Naruto ran away.

"Naruto..."

--

**That shiny button is just calling your name...give in to temptation. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

It seemed as if Naruto proceeded to ask every other girl in Konoha _except _Hinata out, only to be rejected by each and every one of them.

"I'm sorry Naruto. You're a nice guy and all, but you're just too weird for my type," Ino said, "Happy birthday though." Naruto hung his head.

"Me, go with you? Sorry but no thanks." Tenten stated, "Plus, I'm already going with Neji."

"Come on, Tenten."

"Coming!" Tenten followed Neji as he began to leave the training grounds, her eyes now replaced with hearts. Hinata watched from behind a nearby tree, disappointment filling her that Naruto wasn't even considering her. Naruto even got to the point he was so desperate, he asked Temari of the Sand Village, who was only in the Leaf Village because of an errand she had had to run for her younger brother Gaara, the Kazekage.

She point blank told him, "Hell no."

"Aw, this is impossible!" whined Naruto, collapsing on a park bench and ruffling his hair between his hands, "Why is it so hard just to get a date!" But beneath that mask of slightly knucklehead induced discouragement, the normally ditzy blonde was truly in despair.

"I guess I'm not meant to be happy today..." he thought sadly.

"N-Naruto kun?" a voice broke through the cloud of hopelessness that had enveloped his mind. Naruto looked up to see Hinata standing next to the bench, just to the opposite side of him with her fingers poking together nervously.

"Oh. Hey, Hinata!" he greeted her, smiling.

"I-I just wanted to wish you a h-happy birthday." she stuttered, growing more and more nervous by the second.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this!" Hinata's thoughts screamed.

"Why don't you sit down?" Naruto offered, patting his hand on the empty space beside him.

"Oh...o-o-okay." Hinata gulped, forcing herself to move. She plopped down, still a good two feet away from him. An awkward silence befell them, both having no idea what they were going to say next. "S-so, um...a-any luck finding a date?" Hinata tried to start a conversation. Naruto hung his head in response, doom lines running down his forehead.

"N...no..."

"O-oh! I-I'm sorry!"

"What about you, Hinata?" Naruto asked once he had fully recovered, "I bet you've had tons of guys asking you." Shy Hinata blushed harder than ever.

"Y-You really think so?!"

"Sure!" said Naruto enthusiastically, "I mean, you are kinda quiet and shy most of the time, but you're a really nice person and you're pretty too!"

"Oh my gosh! Naruto kun is saying all of this stuff about me?!" Hinata's inner self reeled.

"W-Well, Kiba did offer to take me...but..."

"Hm? What is it?" Naruto asked, ever the clueless one.

"I...I..." Hinata squeezed her eyes shut in desperation, her hands clasped tightly together.

"I really want to go with...!" she was finally able to exclaim, but at that exact moment, and announcement sounded throughout the village, cutting her sentence short.

"Citizens of Konohagakure village. Our Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, has requested the presence of everyone within the village in front of the carvings of the great Hokages within ten minutes. Lady Tsunade insists that everyone attend, for she says it is of great importance. That is all." The intercom clicked off.

"Granny Tsunade's holding a meeting in front of the statues? Now? I sure hope nothing bad has happened." Naruto mused aloud. He stood up.

"Well, I'm going to head over right now and see what's going on. I'll talk to you later Hinata!" Naruto started to run off, but he stopped in mid-step a few feet away. Remembering something, he turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hinata! I almost forgot! What was it you were saying before they made the announcement?" he yelled. Hinata started in surprise.

"Oh! I-It's nothing." Hinata said, giving a fake smile.

"Um...okay then." Naruto replied, unsure of whether her response was truthful or not, "S-See you later." He left. Hinata hung her head in shame.

"I know now. Why I never get up the courage to ask him, even when he's sitting right beside me. My crush on him isn't just a feeling anymore. It's evolved into something much more..." Two silent tears fell down Hinata's cheeks.

"I love him."

--

**Naruto!! How could you forget poor Hinata chan?! I'm gonna slug you once I figure out how to get through this darn TV!! O.o **


	5. Chapter 5

**I really like this dialogue in the beginning of the chapter. See if you can guess who's talking. ;)**

**--**

"Hey you guys!"

"Naruto! Do you know what this is all about?"

"No, that's what I was about to ask you guys."

"Do you always have to make such a noisy entrance, Naruto? You dunce."

"Shhh you two, Lady Tsunade's about to speak."

"Sasuke, why you..."

"I said shut up Naruto!!" **Bam!**

"Thank you all for taking the time to come down here," Tsunade began, "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here this afternoon. I'll get straight to the point. In commemoration of this solemn day, I have something I need to tell all of you. Although this information I am about to reveal to you has been forbidden by the decree of the Fourth Hokage himself..." This drew many shocked and anxious whispers from the crowd. "...I feel it is high time the village was aware of the true story...the true story of the Nine Tailed Fox!"

At this, the entire crowd let out audible gasps and a commotion of talk erupted around the Hokage. Tsunade held up a hand for silence, and eventually the crowd quieted down. Naruto stared at Lady Tsunade in apprehension and fear.

"As you all know, the Nine Tailed Fox was a horrendous beast that ravaged and destroyed most of our village fifteen years ago. Many lives were lost. Had it not been for the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and the countless other heroes that protected this village, none of us would be here today. But what many of you don't know is how our Fourth Hokage actually died. Because of the decree, the majority of you have been told that the Fourth Hokage sealed the Fox Spirit for good and then died of his injuries. This is not the real story. The Fourth Hokage died because he performed the most forbidden jutsu known to mankind...the life-sealing jutsu."

Tsunade paused before continuing.

"In performing this jutsu, the Fourth Hokage traded his life to seal the fox inside the stomach of a newborn child. The spirit's power was too great to destroy, so the Hokage locked the beast away inside another's body, enclosing its power from the rest of the world."

"No...it can't be..." muttered Naruto, wide-eyed in shock. Sakura turned to look at Naruto and saw the look of distress and guilt on his face.

"Are you okay Naruto?" Sakura whispered in concern. Naruto's head jerked up upon hearing her voice, but he didn't dare look her straight in the eyes. He turned his head away from her, biting his lip in indecision. He abruptly wheeled around and started to walk away.

"H-Hey, where are you going?" Still, Naruto didn't answer, and soon he was out of sight. Once he had gotten far enough away that he could no longer hear Lady Tsunade, he collapsed at the trunk of a tall maple tree. "There's no way..." he thought in anguish, "There's just no way..."

"Dad died because of me?!"

"This young boy has grown up in this village with no parents, no family...an orphan with no love, and not even friendship for a very long time. Many of you who were there the night of the attack have held this boy in contempt, hatred, and fear." Some of the people in the crowd shifted uncomfortably. "I have met this young boy and he is anything but a monster. He is just a regular person trying to find his place in the world. Sure, he's a brat with a smart mouth and knack for trouble, but..." She smiled.

"I have complete faith in him. I would trust him with my very life. One day, he will become a great Shinobi worthy of recognition and respect throughout every ninja village. I just know it. But for now, he's just a young man growing up in a huge and daunting world. He's no Nine Tailed Fox. He is a hero."

As Lady Tsunade walked away and the apprehensive, mumbling crowd began to disperse, Sakura turned to Sasuke with a look of growing fear in her eyes.

"Naruto's been acting really weird today. I mean, weirder than usual," Sakura fretted, "I'm really starting to get worried about him."

"It's definitely not like him to walk away from an important announcement like this. And from the Hokage herself, no less," Sasuke said, "It always seems to happen whenever the attack on the village that happened fifteen years ago is mentioned. Something's not right here." Sakura clasped her hands together.

"Do you think this has something to do with the Fourth Hokage and the Nine Tailed Fox?" she asked in a pleading voice.

"I don't know. There's definitely some kind of connection," Sasuke replied, "And I'm going to find out what it is." Hinata, who was standing just a few feet away, overheard the conversation and turned to look wistfully at the spot she had last seen Naruto a few minutes earlier before he had been lost to sight.

"Naruto..." she thought woefully, "What's going to happen now?"

**--**

**Okay, for those of you who may be wondering, the beginning dialogue goes in this order.**

**Naruto,**

**Sakura,**

**Naruto,**

**Sasuke,**

**Sakura,**

**Naruto,**

**and finally, Sakura. Congrats to those who guessed correctly!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, I just noticed something. Look at this: N**ight **U**nder **T**he **S**tars. **NUTS!! So appropriate for its writer, don't you think?**

**--**

Naruto trudged down the path cutting through the park, seemingly not even aware of where he was or where his feet were taking him. Or perhaps he didn't care.

"I can't believe it..." Naruto thought, "Not only is this thing responsible for destroying the village and killing Iruka sensei's parents, but now it's responsible for taking away Dad's life as well?!" Again, Naruto clutched at his stomach in anger. "I'm nothing but a monster."

"Hey! Naruto! There you are!" Naruto turned to see his old sensei, Iruka, running to catch up with him, his hand waving in the air above him.

"Iruka sensei!" Naruto said in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I've been looking all over for you!" Iruka said, slightly out of breath, "Why weren't you at the statues listening to Lady Tsunade speak?" Naruto looked away, his eyes full of confusion and distress.

"It's nothing." Iruka, noticing his sudden change in mood, quickly changed the subject.

"Well, I'll let you off a lecture today, but only because it's your birthday. I was wondering if I could buy you a bowl of ramen over at Ichiraku." Iruka grinned, then winked. "That way I don't owe you a birthday present and I get to tease you about your date to the festival tonight."

Naruto's bangs shadowed his face, hiding his expression. Silence ensued and Iruka realized his mistake.

"Oh. W-well, don't worry about it too much Naruto. I know you'll find a date by the end of the day." he assured him.

"Who'd want to go with me?" This response took Iruka by surprise.

"Naruto's not acting like himself today. I've never seen him look so depressed and rejected." Iruka thought worriedly.

"Don't say that Naruto! I'm sure that there are plenty of girls who would jump at the chance to go with you."

"Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?" Iruka inwardly asked. At this, Naruto lost it.

"Who would even want to get near me?!" Naruto yelled, "I am the nine-tailed fox!!" A complete and absolute silence hung in the air around them. Iruka was completely taken aback and lost for words.

"N-Naruto..." he was eventually able to utter. Naruto froze, finally sensing the presence of other eyes upon him. In terror, he found himself turning to face his two teammates, Sakura's emerald orbs shimmering in shock.

"W-what?" she murmured. Naruto slowly looked around to see not only his two best friends, but the rest of his classmates from the ninja academy had been within hearing distance of his sudden outburst. They now stood stock still, staring at him in bewilderment.

"What did you just say?" Sasuke asked, stunned. Naruto stood rooted to the spot aghast and overwhelmed as their eyes penetrated through him, leaving him vulnerable to every whisper, every word they could possibly utter. Tears that had started to form in the corner of his eyes dug huge rivets down his face as they fell, Naruto no longer having the ability to suppress the pain and sorrow back.

With that, he ran. He ran faster than he ever had in his life, as in the devil were on his heels. He didn't care where he was going, as long as it was far away from his former sensei. His friends. His teammates. His comrades. Everyone. Naruto wanted nothing more than to escape from the rest of the world.

"Naruto!!" Iruka yelled after him, lifting up his arm, but it was to no avail. A strong breeze blew through the air as everyone stood in shock at what they had just witnessed, trying desperately to comprehend it all. Choji had even stopped eating his potato chips.

"I can't...believe it!" Sasuke finally mumbled, breaking the silence.

"That explains why Naruto's power was progressing at such an astonishing rate." Neji said.

"Everything that Lady Tsunade said fits...smart mouth, troublemaker. Even his birthday matches up." Shikamaru put in.

"I can't believe Naruto has been keeping this a secret for so long!" Ino exclaimed.

"Why didn't we realize this before?" Lee inquired. Kiba turned away as everyone else continued to try to make sense of it all.

"How can this be possible?" Kiba asked, more to himself than anyone else. Akamaru whimpered in response. Hinata, who had been lost in thought the entire time, looked up. Coming to a decision, she began chasing after Naruto, who had long since faded from view.

"Hey, Hinata, where are you going?!"

"Naruto..." Hinata thought as she ran, "I want to help you. Please..."

"Just let me find you!!"

**--**

**Onward to the next chapter! I can't wait to see what happens next! Oh, wait. I wrote it...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a side note to all of you who are currently reading this, this chapter is most definitely the longest one. I couldn't figure out a way to break it up into two chapters, the writing just seemed to flow better together. I mean, nothing major compared to other fanfiction writers. I've already noticed my writing and my chapters are far shorter than the usual. But hey, I'm proud of it! Well, enjoy!**

**--**

Naruto gasped for air as he continued to run, out of the village and into the dense forest that lay just outside the village gates.

"They're going to hate me now. I just know it," Naruto agonized, "I thought things were getting better. I thought I had escaped all of that suffering once and for all. But everything's decided to take a nosedive. Nothing's going to be the same anymore!" He finally stumbled to a stop in a small clearing in the middle of the forest, choking for air. Sunlight shone through the trees, it being the only illuminated spot for miles around. Taking a furtive glance backwards to see that nobody was following him, Naruto collapsed onto a fallen log, burying his face into his hands as heart wrenching sobs escaped his lips.

"What am I supposed to do?!"

"Where are you? Naruto kun!" worried Hinata as she ran through the thick foliage of the forest floor, completely lost, "I have no idea where I am, and I can't find him anywhere!!" She pushed through a large bush that was obstructing her path.

"No matter how hard I look, my love for Naruto can't lead me to him." Once again, Hinata made a hand sign and placed her fingers in front of her eyes.

"Byakugan!" The veins around her eyes contracted, her sight becoming much more acute and precise. And again, she scanned the surrounding forest, searching for Naruto, trying desperately to locate the one boy that needed her. Just as her vision passed through yet another section of trees, that's when she saw him, bent over, sitting on a fallen log, crying into his hands.

A pang of sadness went through Hinata as she ran towards him. For the first time, she didn't have to force her body to move. Hinata pushed away the last overhanging branch that was obscuring her vision, only to shield her eyes against a ray of sunlight that fell upon her. Squinting against the light, her eyes came on Naruto, who still sat on the log, oblivious to her entrance. Quietly, she stepped forward into the clearing. Slowly walking towards Naruto, Hinata gave a start as she heard the crunch of a snapping branch under her foot. Naruto whirled around in surprised, his face streaked with newly shed tears.

"H-Hinata?" Naruto exclaimed in astonishment.

"Naruto...I..." Hinata stuttered, not knowing how to begin. Naruto's eyes shone with fear.

"Don't come near me! You know what I am now!!" he shouted, clutching his head as he sobbed. Naruto's misery seemed to emanate from him, as clear to Hinata as the trees around her. She knew he must be so full of pain and confusion.

"I don't see a monster. All I see is a boy who is scared and doesn't know what to do."

These words surprised Hinata as much as they did Naruto. Hinata didn't have to force them out, and they naturally seemed to flow off her tongue.

"I always knew, Naruto kun." Naruto stared at her in amazement.

"Ever since the day I met you, I knew something was different about you, something special," said Hinata, "But everyone just seemed to despise you for it. Nobody ever ate with you or even stopped to give you a kind word. Everybody just laughed at you and called you the class screw-up. Even the villagers couldn't give you more than a cold glare. I never understood why they treated you that way, but I was too shy and scared to stick up for you. I should have been there to help you."

Hinata briefly looked away. Naruto's tears had long since ceased and his undying attention belonged solely to Hinata.

"I always watched you train alone in the woods, hours after class had ended. You never gave up, and your determination never wavered. Even after all the criticism and neglection, all the people saying you would never have the skill to become a ninja, you never gave in. You only saw your goal of surpassing everyone before you and becoming the next Hokage. And then..." Hinata stopped, searching for the right words. Finally, as her gaze at last turned back to Naruto, she said it.

"I figured it out. Why the villagers didn't get near you. It was because the Nine Tailed Fox spirit inhabited your body. Then it all made sense. They were scared, scared you weren't Naruto, but the fox demon itself. It even frightened me a little at first, the idea of the fox spirit being inside your body. But I always knew that even if the fox demon was inside you, there was no way that you were a monster. Naruto kun, you aren't the demon that destroyed the village. You're the boy who has given us all the courage to fight for our dreams. And if Sasuke, Sakura, and all the others are your true friends, like I know they are, they'll believe in you no matter what, because they know you are anything but a beast."

Once Hinata finished speaking, her face turned bright red as she realized the speech she had just given. A light blush was rising onto Naruto's cheeks.

"I had no idea Hinata could make my heart race like this..." he thought.

"W-well, I-I'd better be getting back to the village." Hinata said in a hurry, quickly heading for the cover of the trees. But right when she reached the edge of the clearing, she turned around to face Naruto one more time.

"I believe in you, Naruto kun," she said, "I know everybody else does too."

With that, she darted away. Something in the back of Naruto's mind told him to go after her, to tell her how much her words had meant to him, but he was just too dumbfounded and lost for words to process it all.

"H-Hinata..." thought Naruto, "I've never heard her say so much...and all about me..." Naruto stood up and slowly began walking, subconsciously heading back the way he had come. "She always knew. And yet she was always right there with me. How come I was so stupid never to realize it before?!"

Eventually, Naruto found himself back inside the village walls. Everyone that he came across stared at him in shock, the news of his sudden outburst obviously having traveled quickly through the streets, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he barely even registered their existence. Naruto finally made it to his apartment, where he slowly unlocked the door, went inside, and tossed the keys onto the table. He made his way over to the bed and sat down on it, still completely lost in his thoughts.

"How could I have been such an idiot?!" the insult ran through his head, "I've never even really noticed Hinata before. That's why this morning, when I was worried about finding a date, the thought of asking her to the festival didn't even cross my mind. Yet she was the one who came after me. She was the one who knew exactly what to say to me. And she's the only girl in the whole village who could have done that." Then realization hit Naruto. That afternoon, while they had sat talking on the bench, Hinata had been _trying_ to ask him to the festival.

"Man, I'm such an idiot!!"

Naruto punched the mattress underneath him. And that wasn't the first time Hinata had tried to tell him something, to give him a hint. There was also the time she had spoken to him before the Chunin exams. Naruto had been completely freaked out at the fact he had to go up against Neji in the first round. But Hinata had told him not to let Neji intimidate him, and to never give up. She even said the reason she had been able to keep going and fight her cousin Neji to the end, was because Naruto had inspired her to never give in. Naruto had given her the strength to find her Shinobi way...to never go back on her word, just as Naruto always vowed he would uphold. And now Naruto sat, appalled at how oblivious he had been to her efforts.

The first Chunin exam he had ever entered had been almost four years ago, but only now did he realize how stupid he had been not to notice it and how stupid he must have sounded in his response. Sure, he had told Hinata that he admired girls like her, but before that, he had said that he had just assumed she was an oddball that didn't quite fit in. And today, when she had asked him if he had found someone to go with, he had made a complete fool of himself.

"I complimented her and said she had probably had tons of guys asking her, but after all that, I still didn't even comprehend asking her myself. She probably knew all along that I asked every other girl in the village. She must think I'm such a jerk..."

At that moment, Naruto heard a loud knocking on the door that pulled him from his thoughts.

"Naruto?" Sakura's worried voice drifted through the closed door.

"Sakura?" a stunned Naruto mused to himself, but he didn't answer the door.

"Naruto? Naruto, I know you're in there! Please just answer the door!!" Sakura said rapping a little harder with her fist. Still, Naruto did not answer.

"Just listen, okay?!" Naruto's ears perked up at the urgency in her voice and he obeyed.

"Sasuke and I are really worried about you. And so are Kakashi sensei and Iruka sensei. It might have been a real shock when we...when we found out about the demon fox inside you. But that doesn't change anything! We're still your friends Naruto, and friends stick together, no matter what. Nothing's going to change that! We're still going to be here for you when you need us. You don't have to go through this alone."

Sakura hesitated, then slowly began to walk away. She stopped and took one last furtive glance behind her.

"Just consider coming to the festival, okay Naruto?" With that, she descended the steps leading back to the dirt path below, her footsteps echoing off the platform until they faded out of reach. At the bottom of the steps, Sakura met Sasuke, who looked at her questioningly. She shook her head in response. Sakura continued to walk forward, but stopped in confusion when Sasuke did not follow.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" She was taken by surprise when Sasuke hollered something up in Naruto's direction.

"Hey, dweeb! You'd better show up at the festival tonight or you're in for me beating the crap out of you next time I find you. You got that?"

Naruto smiled to himself at Sasuke's distant voice.

"Thanks you guys. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to me," Naruto thought, laying his head down onto his pillow and stretching his legs out over the bed, "But I just can't go to the festival tonight. I don't have the guts to face Hinata right now." Naruto sighed and uttered one more sentence before exhaustion finally hit him and his eyes closed as sleep overcame him.

"I don't even have the right to ask her to be my date."


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto awoke to the sound of firecrackers being set off in the distance and excited voices drifting up from the streets below.

"Mmmm, when did I fall asleep?" Naruto mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Still only half-awake, Naruto looked over at the clock on his bedside table.

"How long was I out?" Naruto wondered aloud, picking up the digital clock and bringing it into his line of vision. 9:00. The festival had just begun. Naruto got up and stepped out into the chilly night air , looking down at all the people at the festival below with his heart feeling like it was breaking in two. Everyone in the village was happy, he could see it in their faces...except him.

Turning away from all the warmth of the laughter and the soft light that illuminated the streets, Naruto headed back to the entrance to his home, condemning himself to the loneliness and solitude that awaited him. But suddenly, something stopped him in mid-step. It was Sakura's voice reverberating in his head. As he stood standing in the doorway, his hand on the frame of the door, all he could hear was Sakura telling him, _"You don't have to go through this alone."_

"Maybe she's right," Naruto thought, "Maybe I should go. But what about Hinata...?" Then another voice replaced Sakura's, a voice that made Naruto's heart skip a beat.

_"I believe in you Naruto kun."_

Naruto's face turned red upon remembering Hinata's words that day.

_"I always knew Naruto kun."_

_"And if Sasuke, Sakura, and all the others are your true friends, like I know they are, they'll believe in you no matter what, because they know you're anything but a beast."_

_"You're the boy who has given us all the strength and courage to fight for our dreams."_

And finally, the sentence that would forever be embedded in Naruto's mind, from the day Hinata had shown the bravery to fight against Neji, a true master of the fearsome Byakugan...

_"I...n-never...go back on my word...because...That's my Shinobi way, too!"_

"Hinata..."

"That's right. Hinata never gave up, even when Neji kept calling her a failure and saying she would never have the strength to become a full-fledged Shinobi. She never gave in and her hard work paid off. She was made a Chunin and she gained the respect of her entire clan, including Neji. And I'm not going to give up either!" Naruto's trademark grin finally returned to its rightful place and his optimistic attitude came back full swing.

"I'm going to find Hinata and tell her how much it meant to me what she did today! And then I'm somehow going to find the courage to tell her my feelings for her!!"

With that at last having been said, Naruto rushed into his apartment and began to fling clothes in every which direction out of his closet in his search for something presentable to wear.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh, Naruto kun," Hinata thought, biting her finger as she searched the streets for him, "Are you here? I want to see you."

"Hinata!!" three voices cried out simultaneously. Hinata jolted as her two teammates, Shino and Kiba, grabbed her from behind.

"Hinata, hurry! The Lotus Kyomai is about to start!" Kiba urged, tugging at her arm.

"If you don't run, you're going to be late!" Shino added.

"B-But! I can't find Naruto kun anywhere." Hinata stuttered.

"I promise you Hinata, after this we'll help you look for him, but right now you _have_ to get to that performance!" Kurenai exclaimed.

"B-But...!" Hinata protested, but Kiba cut her off.

"Hey, look Hinata, you talked to Naruto, didn't you?" Kiba asked.

"Y-Yes." She answered timidly.

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Will you come with us already?" Kiba gave an awkward smile.

"O-okay." Hinata reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you, Kiba kun."

"Hey, don't sweat it." came Kiba's reply.

Just as Hinata began to run after them, Shino began to say something.

"Naruto better watch out, or he might have a new rival."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Kiba retorted, already pink in the face.

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

"I was only trying to make her feel better, and you know that!"

"Uh huh. Sure."

"That's not funny!! I completely and totally support Hinata getting together with Naruto! End of discussion!!"

"Whatever."

"Why you!!"

Hinata and Kurenai looked at each other, then at Kiba's flustered face, and had to clamp a hand over their mouths to try and stifle the giggles before they reached Kiba's ears.

"What are you all laughing at?!"

**--**

**Just a random idea I had in the middle of writing. I must have just come from Club Otaku (my school's anime club) and Elisa's awesome drawings of KibaXHinata or something...They make a cute pairing, I just love the NaruXHina pairing more. Didn't stop me from hinting towards it though! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Another longer one coming up! Major fluff and kawaiiness. Ah! And the m-m-m-m-most stuttering in any NarutoXHinata scene in the show or any fanfiction you have _ever_ read or seen. Sorry about that...**

**--**

"Argh, I'll never find Hinata in this crowd!" Naruto cried out in frustration, pushing his way through yet another large group of people. Naruto had finally been successful in his search for an outfit. It was a simple black kimono with an orange sash going around his middle and a short sleeve, orange dress coat that fell down to his ankles to go on top of it. The back of the coat was embroidered in black felt with the symbol of the leaf village.

As he passed by another food stand, he came across Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and their sensei Asuma waiting for some kebabs to cook.

"N-Naruto." Ino stuttered in surprise, unsure of how to approach him after the incident that had occurred that afternoon. Naruto quickly avoided their gaze and continued walking. Ino didn't try to pursue him.

"Hurry, hurry! It's about to start!!" an excited woman exclaimed, urging her friend to follow her. The two woman joined a huge circle of people that was growing just ahead. Naruto, his curiosity getting the better of him, followed them.

"Oooh, aren't they beautiful?" another woman sighed.

"What's going on here?" Naruto asked aloud, forcing his way to the front so he could see. An audible gasp escaped his lips. There, standing right before his eyes, was Hinata. Seven other girls stood next to her, but Hinata was the only one Naruto could see. This time he thought his heart missed a whole rotation.

Hinata was wearing the most gorgeous dress Naruto had ever seen. It was a strapless, dark blue dress the color of the ocean. It went all the way down to Hinata's ankles, and it was embedded with the bluest sapphires you could ever find, so that the dress shone and sparkled every time Hinata moved. The only thing that outshined her dress was the girl that was wearing it. Hinata's bangs were pulled back with sky blue butterfly clips, and she wore dangly sapphire earrings. Her eye shadow matched the color of the clips in her hair, and it shimmered in the moonlight. She wore simple pink lipstick, and on her neck was a diamond necklace. Naruto thought she looked like an angel who had taken human form.

"And now, let the opening ceremony of the festival begin," Tsunade announced from beside Hinata, "I give you the sacred Lotus Kyomai to be performed by these eight lovely young ladies. Break a leg, girls." Tsunade grinned.

"T-Thank you." Hinata mumbled nervously before Tsunade left the center of the circle and joined the crowd. A woman started the song with a flute solo as the eight girls got into position with their arms held over their heads. The lights dimmed, and soon the dance began as a man playing a guitar joined the flutist. The girls gracefully lowered their arms and began to move in complete synchronization in the pattern of the leaf symbol of Konoha. As each stopped in a different spot of the symbol, the girls individually performed. At last, Hinata reached the last spot on Konoha leaf, the middle, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The other seven performers left the circle and a spotlight shone on Hinata.

Still moving in the pattern of the leaf, Hinata twisted and turned, portraying the grace and delicacy of a flower. These motions soon turned to fast and swift spins, and complicated footsteps, now symbolizing the ferocity of fire. The tempo of the music now sped up to an enormous climax. Naruto watched her every movement, completely entranced by her beauty. Finally, Hinata kneeled down on her left knee and crossed her arms above her, showing the balance between the gentle leaf and the fearsome flame that created the Fire Nation. The music slowed and the last note held out as the seven other performers rejoined Hinata, standing in a circle around her and mimicking her position. The song ended. Everyone broke into loud clapping and cheering.

"Woooh, go Hinata!!" Kiba and Kurenai shouted.

"You guys were amazing!!"

"Excellent job!"

"That solo was beautiful!" Poor, timid Hinata was entirely overwhelmed by all of the compliments, her face glowing beat red as she rose to her feet. Tsunade winked at her and she smiled shyly. All eight performers joined hands to take a bow, but just as Hinata was about to lower her head, she completely froze up. It was _him_...the boy she had been searching for this whole time...Naruto. It was all she could do not to pass out.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" the girl beside her asked in concern, "You didn't bow."

"Oh! Yes, I'm fine! Sorry!" Hinata jolted, completely flustered. She took a hasty bow. As all of the other girls started going their separate ways and the crowd began to disperse, Naruto gulped, stricken for the first time with the butterflies.

"H-Hey, Hinata!" he greeted nervously.

"H-Hi...Naruto kun." Hinata said shyly. Naruto's heart leapt a mile when she said his name.

"T-That dance was terrific! You completely blew me away!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to start a conversation, "And, uh..." He gulped. "You look great."

"Oh! U-Um...t-t-thank you." Hinata said, embarrassed. Silence ensued.

"So, um..." they both started to say, and then laughed when they realized they had both tried to say something at the same time.

"Heh heh, y-you go first." Naruto said.

"N-No, I d-don't mind. Y-You can go first." Hinata replied timidly.

"O-Oh. O-o-o-okay." Naruto was really nervous by now, to the point he could barely keep his legs from shaking.

"W-Well...I..." he began to say. Hinata waited patiently, holding her hands together.

"I-I just wanted to thank you for earlier. Y-You really helped me back there." Naruto stuttered.

"Oh. D-Don't mention it." Hinata said in embarrassment. Naruto scratched the back of his head and they both looked away, blushing.

"S-So, um...are you okay now?" Hinata asked, looking back at him. Naruto was taken by surprise.

"S-s-sure! You bet!!" Naruto smiled, his whole body now on edge.

"I'm glad." Hinata said softly. Naruto couldn't take it any longer.

"I can't do this! I can't do this!" his inner thoughts screamed. Hinata noticed his discomfort and looked up at him in concern.

"What's wrong, Naruto kun?" she asked him in worry.

"Just do it!" the other half of Naruto's mind screamed.

"T-There's s-something I-I, uh...wanted t-to ask you..."

"I must sound so stupid right now!!"

"Y-Yes?" Hinata inquired. It was Naruto's turn to ring his hands together.

"Um...uh..."

"DO IT!!"

"Would you be my date for the festival?!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata's eyes grew wide in disbelief, her mouth hanging slightly open. Her face turned ten shades deeper.

"Y--yes." she murmured, barely able to form the answer. Naruto was completely dumbfounded by her response, all coherency in his brain seemingly shut off.

"Y-You mean it?!" he cried out excitedly. She nodded.

"Woohoo!!" Naruto threw his hands up into the air, an ear to ear grin plastered on his face. Hinata giggled at his enthusiasm.

"So, uh..." Naruto said looking around, "What do you want to do?" Hinata was finally snapped out of her trance.

"Um, i-it doesn't matter to me. W-Whatever you want to do." she said, now starting to get a serious case of the butterflies.

"Well, I do have these two coupons to Ichiraku, if you're hungry." Naruto offered, pulling the two slips of paper out of the pocket of his coat.

"I-I am a little hungry." Hinata admitted.

"That works then! C'mon, lets go!!" Naruto exclaimed, his hyperness level at the max with t the mentioned possibility of ramen. Then he made a bold move, proving the normally ditzy, confident Naruto was indeed back. He grabbed Hinata's hand and continued to hold it as they walked. Hinata blushed harder than ever, her mind reeling.

"Naruto's holding my hand!" her inner self squeaked. They continued on for a little while like that in silence, just enjoying each other's company, until they came across something neither of them had been expecting to see...

--

**I can't believe I was actually able to come up with a description for the outfits, no less creating them! Though I did just figure out why Naruto's seemed familiar. Besides the colors, it's the captains outfit in Bleach. I knew it seemed familiar! Le gasp, Naruto stutters just as much as Hinata, if not more!! o.O I warned you...**


	11. Chapter 11

"SASUKE?!" Naruto screamed. Sakura gasped in surprise, while Sasuke just flinched. Sure enough, it was Naruto's two teammates, but there was something else that had caught Naruto and Hinata's attention. They were also holding hands.

"Why are you always so loud? You dope." Sasuke tried to cover himself up, only to fail miserably.

"But I though you didn't like Sakura!!" Naruto yelled.

"Well, last time I checked, you weren't so into Hinata." Sasuke shot back.

"But - But - But- ! You're holding her hand!!" Sakura's face turned pink, and Sasuke quickly let go of her hand, his face tinted red.

"S-So what's it to you? You're holding hands with Hinata!" Hinata's face also turned red, and Naruto let go of her hand as his face flushed. They continued to shoot insults back and forth at each other while Hinata and Sakura took a few steps away from them and started to whisper amongst themselves.

"You remember that time when they accidentally kissed?" Sakura said, bending over with her hand covering her mouth. Both girls broke out into giggles. Both of the guys' faces, which had been only inches apart a few seconds ago in anger, now swung instantly to face them.

"What did you say?!" the both exclaimed.

A few minutes later, when things had calmed down and Sakura and Hinata had been able to stop laughing, the pairs got ready to say their goodbyes.

"You should have seen the look on your face Sasuke. I wish I had had a camera." Sakura teased him, giggling.

"Could we please just drop that already?" Sasuke growled in annoyance.

"Well, I hope you guys have fun." Sakura winked. She began to walk away with Sasuke when Naruto called after them.

"Wait!"

Both Sasuke and Sakura turned around in question.

"Thank you guys, for earlier! I appreciate it!" Naruto grinned. Sakura smiled in return and Sasuke nodded, acknowledging that he had heard.

"Take care!" Sakura exclaimed, waving. Naruto and Hinata waved back, and Sakura turned around to grab onto Sasuke's arm, her face full of ecstasy. Sasuke didn't try to stop her, and he raised his free hand over his head in farewell. To their surprise, when Sakura leaned her head on his shoulder, he even moved to lean his head on hers.

"Ugh, I don't know if I can take much more of this." Naruto complained, rubbing his head. Hinata suppressed a giggle. Again, Naruto slipped his hand into Hinata's, this time their fingers intertwining.

"Almost ther-..." Naruto told Hinata before he cut off his sentence in mid-word.

"W-What is it Naruto kun?"

Just ahead, coming out of the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, was Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya...together. Naruto collapsed to the ground, almost passing out.

"N-Naruto kun?!" But Naruto quickly recovered and jumped to his feet, immediately pointing and accusational finger at the two of them.

"Granny Tsunade?! Pervy Sage?!"

"Well, if it isn't little Naruto...and the Hyuga girl. Don't you two make and odd couple? (And how many times do I have to tell you Naruto, not to call me that in public. My name's Jiraiya!)"

"He's right, Hinata. What're you doing hanging out with a brat like him?" Tsunade commented.

"Well, I..." Hinata stuttered, but Naruto interrupted her.

"Stop insulting me already!" he fumed, "And leave Hinata out of this, you old lady!!"

"What'd you say, you little punk!" Tsunade exclaimed, cracking her knuckles.

"Alright, calm down you two." Jiraiya sighed, for once the voice of reason.

"Fine." Tsunade grudgingly obeyed. It was one of the rare instances Tsunade listened to somebody besides herself. And Naruto was not buying it.

"What's all this about you two being together?!" Naruto accused.

"What? We can't have some fun like everybody else?" Tsunade said smugly.

"Fun?!" Naruto said in bewilderment.

"Of course. Even old people are allowed to go on dates, aren't we?" Jiraiya asked.

"Wooh! Go Granny Tsunade!" Naruto snickered.

"Aw, shut up, ya little brat."

"Speaking of fun..." Jiraiya said slyly. Suddenly, Jiraiya put his arm around Tsunade and swung her backwards just inches from the ground, locking his lips onto hers. Tsunade's eyes revealed she was just as shocked as the rest of them, but she eagerly returned the kiss, all the while blushing.

Naruto was already retching on the side of the building. The last ounce of control Tsunade had left was gone.

"Alright, that's it, YOU'RE DEAD!!"

**--**

**I think out of all the dialogue I wrote, Tsunade's was definitely the easiest to come up with. She just has such a unique personality. Besides the consistent need to drink sake, I can definitely relate to her temper...It kinda just happens in a house with 3 other siblings, lol.**


	12. Chapter 12

Both Hinata and Naruto entered the Ichiraku Ramen Shop to see the storekeeper staring at the entrance to his shop with a look that clearly said, "That was really disturbing."

"Naruto! Nice to see you again!" he greeted him once he realized he had some more customers, "Man, you don't look so good." Naruto had a huge lump on the top of his head where Tsunade's fist had landed.

"D-Don't worry…I'll be fine." Naruto said between huge streams of tears.

"And who do we have here? So you actually managed to find a date Naruto. I'm impressed." the shopkeeper chuckled.

"Hey! Give me some credit here!" Naruto cried out in earnest, "Why does everyone have such a hard time believing I have a date?"

"What can I get for you little lady?" the shopkeeper smiled kindly, pulling out a notepad and pen.

"U-Um…just a regular ramen, please…" Hinata said quietly.

"Aw, Hinata, you can get something more than that!" Naruto protested.

"N-No, I couldn't…"

"Make that two jumbo ramens, cook!"

"Coming right up!"

Hinata stared at her bowl, wide-eyed, while Naruto was already slurping away. It was chocked full of lobster, chicken, and any other kind of meat imaginable.

"N-Naruto kun…you didn't have to…" she stuttered, but Naruto just smiled at her.

"I couldn't let you just get that!" Naruto said, "I mean, this is a date, right? I wanted to get you something nice. Besides…" He looked down at his ramen. "…it's the least I can do to repay you for this afternoon." Hinata blushed again, and looked down at her meal, smiling the sweetest smile Naruto had ever seen.

"She's so cute right now," he thought, "I can't believe I haven't screwed this up yet. She's the first girl that has…well, you know. And I'm super nervous, but I've been able to just be myself around her and she hasn't cared. I must be the luckiest guy on the planet right now. But…are her feelings for me as strong as mine are for her?"

"T-This looks delicious!" Hinata broke the silence, picking up a pair of chopsticks and snapping them apart.

"Yup! Dig in!!"

**--**

**Poor Naruto. He always seems to get beaten up or verbally abused in this story, doesn't he? **


	13. Chapter 13

"Um, Hinata?" Naruto asked as they walked out of the shop, completely stuffed.

"Yes?"

"How did you…well…how did you find out? About the fox."

"Um…I don't even really know…" Hinata admitted, smiling, "I kind of just had a feeling…and then it grew into certainty." She grinned.

"But it also helps that you have whiskers. That pretty much makes it obvious once you figure it out."

"Y-Yeah…" Naruto said in embarrassment, a sweat drop rolling down the side of his face. Hinata giggled for about the tenth time that night. But slowly, they found themselves inching closer to each other, the gap between their lips growing smaller and smaller. Before they even knew what they were doing, someone yelled Naruto's name, and with a jolt, the two were painfully jerked back to their senses.

"Naruto! Hold on one second!" It was Neji, the tomboy Tenten tagging along behind him in a black dress.

"I wanted to apologize for my deplorable reaction earlier, and for that of my teammates. We were rash. But I realize now no such reaction was necessary." He smiled, a rarity for the calm, collected Neji.

"No matter what, Naruto, you're still you."

"Please forgive me." Tenten said courteously, bowing.

"No," Neji corrected her, "Us."

He also bowed. A never-in-my-life-will-I-do-that for Neji.

"All of us."

To say Naruto was surprised would be an understatement. He was already past being overwhelmed, and at the brink of tears from relief.

"S-Sure." he somehow managed to mumble. Hinata smiled to herself.

"Thank you Neji." she thought in gratitude.

"Lady Hinata. It's good to see you again." Neji said politely.

"I-It's good to see you too, Neji sama." Hinata stammered.

"That dance you performed tonight was very beautiful. I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done." Again, Neji smiled.

"T-Thank you." a flustered Hinata replied.

"It seems Neji's finally let go of the past. Let go of the tension between the main branch and the cadet branch of his clan," Naruto thought, "I'm glad, Hinata."

"So, you're Naruto's date, I presume?" Neji inquired.

"Yes." Hinata said, blushing. Naruto's face tinted.

"I don't see how you put up with a knucklehead like him." Neji remarked.

"Hey!!"

"Neejji!" Tenten suddenly piped in, "We're going to be late!"

"Right," Neji said, reverting back to his calm, emotionless demeanor, "I got distracted. Sorry."

"Well, come on then!" Tenten smirked playfully, getting behind him and starting to push him forwards.

"Tenten!" Neji growled, embarrassed.

"Aw, lay off it!" Tenten teased.

"Well, I hope you guys enjoy yourselves tonight." Neji said kindly. With one last smile, they walked away, Tenten still grinning at Neji's annoyance.

"Hurry up? Hurry up for what?" Naruto puzzled aloud, "Do you know what she was talking about Hinata?"

"I-I think she meant the…dance." Hinata told him, turning red. Naruto swallowed, the cursed butterflies re-entering his digestive system.

"O-Oh." he mumbled, embarrassed.

"S-So, um…" he started, not knowing where to begin. His nervous habit of scratching the back of his head started up again, and he averted his gaze to his feet as to not make eye contact with the girl in front of him.

"D-Do you want to go?" he asked.

"S-Sure." Hinata responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"O-Okay then!" Naruto exclaimed, obviously relieved that she had liked the idea as well. He quickly grabbed Hinata's hand and started to lead her in the direction they had last seen Neji and Tenten heading.

"I-I think I saw them go this way…"

**--**

**Either they don't believe Naruto can get a date, or they can't believe his date can put up with him. It's just one or the other, not that I can blame them though... (shakes head) **

**Naruto- What?! Even you?!**

**Me- Sorry Naruto, I love you, but you're just a blockhead when it comes to romance.**

**Naruto- W-Wha?! **

**Hinata- L-Love...?**

**Me- Oh! No! Not like that Hinata chan!! He's all yours!! (shoves Hinata into Naruto) Now you be a good boy Naruto, and start making out with Hinata in that dark corner over there! (points, then runs away)**

**Naruto- (nose bleeding) H-huh?? **

**(But I'm already gone, because I'm ninja like that.)**

**Please review!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Even though it's the shortest chapter of them all, it is by far my favorite. Sorry in advance Lee kun!**

**--**

"Sakura!!" Lee sobbed from the sidelines, gigantic streams of tears pouring down his face.

"Join the club." Choji said, munching on chips as usual.

Shino and Kiba stood nearby, with Ino going on and on about how her Sasuke had been stolen from her. These five made up the only graduates from the ninja academy that hadn't found a date.

"Ugh, this is horrible!!" Ino shouted to no one in particular, "It was bad enough when lazy bum Shikamaru got a date, but even Sakura?! My life is over! I'll never be able to show my face out in public again!" That's when Ino noticed Naruto and Hinata joining Sakura and Sasuke, hangs intertwined. Her mouth hung open in utter disbelief.

"_NARUTO _got a **_DATE_**?!" she screamed, "NO, this can't be happening to me!!"

"Well, I'm not going to just stand around here and sulk!" Kiba grinned, "C'mon Akamaru!"

"Arf!" Akamaru barked. Kiba and Akamaru ran over and slipped in amongst the crowd, and Kiba began to twirl Akamaru around in wild circles. This gained Kiba many awkward stares.

"Oh, brother." Shino sighed, walking away to spare himself the agony of telling people they were on the same squad.

"U-Um, Ino…" Choji stuttered, suddenly becoming very nervous, "…i-if you're so angry about not getting a date…w-w-why don't you go with m-me?"

Ino stared at Choji in shock, completely lost for words.

"O-Okay." she quietly mumbled, blushing. Choji's face immediately brightened up, and he smiled the most innocent, happy smile you could ever see. As they also walked away, Lee was left all alone, still sobbing over his precious Sakura.

**--**

**I can't believe I just dissed one of my favorite characters, Lee. But I just couldn't help it, it would be too much fun I'd be missing out on if I resisted writing it! I'll make it up to you Lee, I promise! And also one of my favorite pairings, InoXChoji, is in here! I love it, but I could never come up with an idea to write a whole fanfic on that pairing, so this'll just have to do. It's pretty good in my opinion. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey you guys! You made it just in time! The first song just ended." Sakura informed them.

"Oh. T-That's good, we weren't too late." Hinata replied.

"Oh, Hinata! I forgot to congratulate you earlier! That dance you performed tonight was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" Sakura reeled, "And your dress is gorgeous! I've never seen anything like i-"

Sakura cut off her sentence in mid-word to growl at the glares the two boys were shooting at each other. If looks could kill, Sasuke and Naruto would have been dead by now.

Just then, the next song started to play, a slow tune filling the air. People one by one began to pair up to dance.

"Oh, Saassuuke!" Sakura said mischievously.

"Erg." Sasuke flinched.

Naruto took a deep breath to try and calm himself, and, heart racing, turned to face Hinata.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Y-Yes." she answered, placing her hand on his.

Around them, a couple of other familiar faces were also dancing. Among them were, not surprisingly, Sakura and a grudgingly obeying Sasuke, Neji and Tenten, and Tsunade and Jiraiya. Many wolf whistles could be heard at this and people shouting, "Go Lady Hokage!" She just grinned at all of them and playfully told them to shut up. Who did come as a surprise was a certain lazy cloud gazer named Shikamaru and the hot headed, fan wielding Temari, Ino and Choji, and…Kiba and Akamaru? But most of all, the couple nobody had expected to see was the one and only Asuma, Shikamaru's sensei, who for once didn't have a cigarette in his mouth, and Hinata's very own squad eight cell leader Kurenai.

Naruto put his hands on Hinata's waist and Hinata put her hands on his shoulder, and they both slowly moved back and forth to the music, neither letting any other part of their body get too close to the other. But soon, Hinata couldn't help it any longer, and she drew close to his body, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and leaning her head against his shoulder. At first Naruto was taken by surprise, but he soon tightened his hold on her. Finally, the song ended.

"Well now. What happened to you two not liking each other?" Kakashi teased the unsuspecting Kurenai and Asuma. A triumphant smirk could be clearly seen on his face, even under his mask, and he stood in front of the pair, basking in his victory as if their was nothing that could spoil his glory. Asuma and Kurenai quickly separated, neither able to come up with a comeback.

It was a few seconds before Naruto and Hinata realized the song had ended, and by then a lot of people were staring. Sasuke's smirk clearly said "blackmail".

"C'mon, let's get out of here!" Naruto urged, his face already cherry red.

"Uhuh!" Hinata quickly agreed. Naruto grabbed her hand, and without a clue where they were going, they rushed away.

**--**

**I know how this is. At least, embarrassment after a dance. Oh yah. Well, we're no longer together, but my ex and I were at the Valentines dance at my school, Snowball, and he suddenly stopped me to dance, RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FRIEND EMILY!! My inner Yukaido was screaming, "Not here! Not now! Emily's right behind us!!", but I couldn't say anything, I was so flustered. And it's kinda hard to dart away from your boyfriend who is like 6'1 when you are only 5'1, a whole ruler shorter. Well, let's just go to say, it was an ackward, though very enjoyable slow dance. Thank goodness my friend was considerate and turned away to give us some privacy. And here's the best part...he never even noticed Emily was behind us! I had to tell him. You can imagine how that phone conversation went.**


	16. Chapter 16

**The last chapter! My beautiful story is coming to a close, and I don't know whether I should be happy or sad. Mixed emotions I guess. Saddening, because I can no longer come up with dramatic scenes, or witty remarks for ****the characters, yet happy because...it's the only fanfiction I'm completely done with. Oh, and for those of you who have previously read this story, because I'm not sure how the alert system goes, this is not a new chapter, I've just been spending all day doing spelling revisions while listening to music from Guitar Hero, and I discovered a way to seperate one of the two longer chapters. So, this is the same ending, just with an additional chapter. Well, guess this is it! Please leave a review and tell me how the ending was. Satisfactory? Or...crummy. (praying to the anime gods: "Please let it not be crummy!!")**

**--**

Sure enough, with no actual destination having been in mind, the pair ended up stopping next to a tall maple tree, far enough away from the festival to be secluded from prying eyes.

"Heh…I was here earlier today…" Naruto chuckled, walking over to the tree and running his hand over the smooth bark, "..while Lady Tsunade was telling the village about what really happened to the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tailed Fox."

The image of Naruto walking away from the announcement earlier that day flashed back into Hinata's mind.

"Why did you leave?" she asked tentatively. A pause of silence followed with Naruto trying to think of what to say.

"Because I didn't realize the Fourth Hokage had given up his life to seal the fox within me," Naruto said calmly, still turned towards the tree, "I believed like everyone else that he died from injuries from the fight." He stopped to collect his thoughts. "The fox is what killed him. Even though I'm not the demon, it's still a part of me," Naruto admitted, "So I still harbor the guilt."

Again, he stopped. Hinata waited for him to continue, knowing that telling her this must be very hard on him. Finally, Naruto said what he had been meaning to tell her all along.

"I can't really be that upset because I didn't even know him. But still…" Naruto looked down at his right hand, "…he was my dad." Hinata gasped, her eyes widening in shock. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. Without even thinking, she walked over to him and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back.

"Naruto kun…I'm so sorry."

Naruto just smiled sadly, placing one of his hands on hers. Both of them stood like that for a while, neither of them having any desire to move. Naruto finally turned to face her as Hinata let go.

"I have to do it now." Naruto thought solemnly, "I won't have any regrets, no matter what her reaction. She deserves to know how I feel. No…"

_"She needs to know how I feel."_

"Is something wrong, Naruto kun?" Hinata asked worriedly. He froze up, his heart thumping painfully in his chest.

"H-Hinata, I need to tell you something," he started, fighting not to stumble over his words, "I've been wanting to tell you all night, but I…I couldn't get up the courage to…"

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

_"No regrets."_

"I love you."

Hinata's heart leapt the second he said those three words.

"I mean it with everything I've got. Heart and soul," Naruto said, "I know you don't feel the same, and I'm sorry if what I said hurt you. That's the last thing I want to do. But I just thought you had the right to know." With that, Naruto turned and began to walk away. Hinata couldn't believe what was happening.

"That's not true, Naruto kun! That's not true!!" she thought, tears streaking down her face and falling to the ground as she ran after him. She flung herself on him, gripping at the kimono on his back to make him stop.

"T-That's not…true…" she murmured, her voice being muffled by the soft fabric. Naruto was frozen in his tracks, and he couldn't believe his eyes when he turned around to see Hinata standing right behind him, he face damp with tears.

"I-I…I…" she stuttered, staring down at her feet. She looked up to meet his gaze.

"I-I love you too."

Naruto's eyes shimmered. Hinata's tears were tears of joy. Immediately, he pulled her into a tight embrace. He moved one of his hands to lay across her back, the other to rest behind her head. Hinata gently wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head in the crook of his neck. They stayed like that for the longest time, too reluctant to move away from each other, to let the moment end.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Hinata thought, "I never expected Naruto to ever return my feelings. This is just like a dream. But it's real. He's right here…with me."

Finally, they separated, and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Hinata…there's something I want to show you." Naruto said, smiling. Suddenly, he scooped Hinata up into his arms as if she was as light as a feather.

"Naruto?! What are you dooiinng?!" Hinata screamed. Naruto just laughed as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, Hinata clinging to his neck in terror. Naruto landed gracefully on the last rood and slowly lowered Hinata to her feet, her shoes lightly tapping on the red shingles.

"Ta da! Home sweet home!" Naruto grinned, helping Hinata sit down, "Isn't the view great?"

From their spot on the roof, you could see the entire village and the forest beyond it. Millions of stars shone brightly in the night sky, the moon illuminating the village, with its dimmed lights, in a pale white glow.

"It's beautiful," Hinata whispered, "Do you really live here?"

"Yep. It's not much, but you're welcome to come by any time." Naruto declared happily.

"Oh, look! A shooting star!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed, pointing, "Make a wish!" They both closed their eyes and clasped their hands together as the star flew by.

"S-So what did you wish for Naruto kun?" Hinata asked. Naruto gave a cocky grin.

"To become the greatest Hokage to live, of course!" He quickly jumped to his feet and pointed a finger at the stone carvings in the center of the village.

"I'll beat out all the rest and surpass all of you!" he vowed. Hinata smiled, blushing.

"So what about you Hinata?" Naruto asked as he sat back down, "What did you wish for?"

"Well…" Hinata said, poking her fingers together nervously, "I-I can't tell you."

"No fair! I told you mine!" Naruto whined playfully.

"But if I tell you, then it won't come true." Hinata explained.

"Aw, you couldn't tell me this sooner?!"

"Naruto…" Hinata thought, smiling, "I wished that I could make you happy and that I could always be there for you…just like you've always been for me."

" I know you can do it, Naruto kun…"

Naruto stopped ruffling his hair and looked at Hinata in question. She looked at him eyes shining.

"I know that you'll become Hokage, even if you told me your wish. You've always followed your dream. And you're more determined than anybody else to see it through. You'll become Hokage. I just know it."

Naruto turned red, scratching the back of his head.

"Thanks." he said, embarrassed.

Suddenly, they heard a loud crackling noise, and Hinata and Naruto both gasped as a tiny rocket was shot up into the air and it exploded into a huge, yellow firework. The fireworks show had started, signifying the end of the festival. Hinata gazed at them in awe, the bright colors reflecting in her purple eyes. While Hinata was distracted, Naruto carefully scooted closer to her. Once he made sure Hinata hadn't noticed anything, or so he thought, he slowly lowered his arm across her shoulders. She blushed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

After a few more minutes of watching the fireworks explode just above them, Hinata raised her head to lightly kiss him on the cheek. But just as she was about to lay her head back down, Naruto lifted her chin up with his hand and pulled her into a long, deep kiss, both now oblivious to the amazing finale going on in front of them. What a perfect way to spend the night under the stars.

--

**Okay, I want to take the time to personally thank all the amazing readers who reviewed my story and left such wonderful, encouraging comments. I can't believe I've had a reader that loved this story so much, they cried! Thank you so much zuzonka!! And also, a huge thanks to mnmkenny, hinata06, Rose Tiger, Darth-Taisha, , adngo714, Emily Uchiha, ****and of course, my BFF, Firah-Von-Nightflame. You must have been really bored to have left like 8 reviews, lol. _Thank you so much everyone, I can't say it enough times!_ Thanks x infinity!! It means a lot to me for you to take the time to read my work and say how good it was. I've got people across the country who like my stories!! And even people who want me to type more!! ****_Woooooooo_!! XD**


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